Oil Filter

[marsheng]

On the tech notes there is talk about an oil filter however, I thought I add this to the forum as I build my one.

I hate the sludge trap idea and prefer a proper filter.

It is quite easy to plumb into the oil pump

OilConnections.JPG

I'm going to use a small and easily replaceable Suzuki oil filter with a built in pressure release valve. I'm making a custom housing that will attach to the front mounting plates (well at least at this point.) This way it is easy to get to, and if i'm careful, may even look like and OEM part.

[Jordan]

if i'm careful, may even look like and OEM part.

In your dreams.

[ducwiz]

fyi: http://motoscrubs.com/Ducati_Tech/oilfilter.pdf

..

[LaceyDucati]

Wallace and all,

My thoughts on the mater....

The oil system is reliant on flow as there is little pressure in the system. With the original internal plumbing the oil is directed to the head first and the crank is fed via a cut into the internal feed pipe. The crank with a roller bearing needs little oil, just a steady trickle will suffice. The head, cam and rockers on a modified engine benefit from a good volume of oil to lubricate the highly loaded cam faces and aid cooling of the head. Therefore directing the main oil direction towards the crank nose and any potential oil leaks in that area may not be the best plan. If I understand these connections correctly, the head in this set up now relies on oil having enough pressure to turn 90 degrees back into the internal pipe slot, having now changed the preference to the crank. The last proponent of the "Creasy oil filter conversion" I remember on this forum ended up eventually ditching the idea after a chewing up his new cam and rockers, maybe he got it wrong some how, but just mentioning it.....

Although maybe by modern standards the engine design is antiquated and seemingly not ideal filtration wise, built and maintained well it will run for many years without issue. My experience with a race engine is, rods and pistons can potentially last up to 10 years of hard racing. Eventual failure if you push your luck too much is normally related to material fatigue, rather than degradation from circulating debris. Most damage from particles I've seen in engines I've inspected is from dirty builds. I will add that external oil lines are often messy looking and add far more potential for oil leaks, due to all the extra joints and seals.

Maybe I'm just looking at this from a position of not having a problem, so not seeing the need to fix it!

Good luck with it anyway.

Regards Nigel

[blethermaskite]

1974 350 mk3 ......45 years on the same crank, piston, cam, and rockers, engine bottom end never opened from new, run on multigrade 20/50 oil from new , engine regularly run to 8000 rpm oil changed every 1500 miles and comes out pretty near as clean as it went in....(I use it in the lawn mowers after the ducati ) ......I know why you want to do it, but I don't think you really need an extra filter .
Cheers,
George

[ranton_rambler]

I've got a 50,000 mile Guzzi 850GT, which has no oil filter, Just a strainer on the pickup and a sludge trap in the crankpin. Oil changes every 1500-2000 miles, although I do drop the sump every second change and clean it out. Bottom end never been apart.

[Ventodue]

It's been said many times before: Your best filtration system is regular oil changes.

If you can't be arsed to change your oil regularly - remembering that, "Oil is cheaper than bearings" - then by all means consider fitting a supplementary filter. But Nigel has succinctly laid out the issues involved.

For me, fitting a supplementary oil filter is a solution looking for a problem. Stop fussing, and just ride the damn thing!

[Duccout]

Can I add something that I remember reading years ago written by Harry Westlake (of Westlake Speedway Engine fame) ? In the article he talked about roller bearing big-end failure in general and in particular in his speedway engines, which were 500 cc single-cylinder lumps that revved to 8000 and needed a new big-end each meeting. His assertion was that the loading on a roller bearing big-end was squared for every 1000 RPM, so the higher the crank was spun, the faster the wear rate, and it was impossible to make a roller big-end last in conditions of high loadings, so He was in the process of redesigning the engine to convert it to a plain bearing big-end with high-pressure oil system.

Don't shoot me, I'm just relating what I read!

[ducwiz]

George,

1974 350 mk3 ...... 45 years on the same crank

can you please translate this into kilometers or miles, for a realistic assessment?

tnx Hans

[blethermaskite]

Hans, not only would I like to quote you how many miles/k are on my 350 mk3 but I would like to know too! by way of explanation I bought the bike new in 1974, rode it very hard for 2 years, sold it to a friend who also rode it hard for a couple of years, I bought it back, rode it for another couple of years, sold it to a collector who stored it in a bedroom for 25 years, when he died I bought it back "again" at his estate disposal auction, @27000 miles, and after minimal refurbishing and service I have been riding it ever since (near 15 years I think) why do I not know the millage? the bike has had an appetite for speedometers that is beyond a joke, It destroyed the first one before I had even run the bike in! to the best of my knowledge I have gone through 4 speedo's ( I might have missed one ) each one I replaced eventually but rode the bike often for maybe a year or more with a broken clock . If I add up the miles on all the broken speedo's I have around 43,000 miles on the bike, but realistically I have more than this due to the various periods of non functional odometers. I am careful with maintenance, however I think I have just been lucky with my 350 (and by the way it is one of the late widecase bikes with a Spanish built engine!) hope this answers your question.
Cheers,
George